Electrophoretic enamelling is performed with known apparatuses in which a coating agent is deposited cathodically or anodically on small metal parts. This apparatus can consist of a closed drum in which the small metal parts are placed.
In addition, the coating agent is also placed in the drum; the inside of the drum is made so as to be electrically conductive and is connected to one pole of a power source, whereas the coating agent is connected to the other pole of the power source.
During operation of the drum, the small metal parts assume the same potential as the drum, so that the coating agent with the opposite potential is deposited on the small parts. The process for coating such small parts is extremely costly because the drum must first be filled with the small parts, and then the coated or electrophoretically enamelled small parts have to be removed from the drum once again. Using the prior art, only a discontinuous mode of operation is possible, so that the production rate per unit time of small parts is confined to narrow limits.